12 reasons to visit Bournemouth whatever the weather

England is not a land known for its exceptional weather, but when the comes out, everyone flocks to the Bournemouth area for sand and sea, fish and chips.

The area has a lot to do regardless of the weather and, in fact, if you head down out of summer season you will be pleasantly surprised, and you will not have to battle through the beach crowds.

With its varied nightlife (all at an amazing distance), a small but perfectly formed shopping center, it is greenery and the wildlife, not to mention the coastline, is a truly beautiful area.

The Lower Gardens

(Picture: Bournemouth.co.uk)

These gardens in the heart of Bournemouth, between the High Street and the sea, are gorgeous all year round.

In the summer you can barely move for the crowds, but things calm down a bit later on, and you can enjoy the floral displays, aviary, rock garden and, when it’s back in action, go up to admire views from the tethered Bournemouth Balloon.

Russell-Cotes Art Galley And Museum

But it’s the house itself that is the real draw, with themed rooms inspired by the owners’ travels such as The Mikado’s Room.

It’s open from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday-Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays for £7.50 adults price.

Bournemouth Pier

(Picture: Getty)

At one end you have the arcade and a few shops, at the other Key West bar and grill, which serves everything from big breakfasts to lunchtime salads to steaks and cakes.

There’s also a pier to shore zip wire, which you can have a go on now through til Christmas Eve, a climbing wall and fishing opportunities.

Poole Quay

(Picture: Getty)

The quay is the heart of Poole – come here to look round Poole Pottery, go crabbing or simply admire the beautiful range of boats.

A short walk away is Poole Museum, which tells the tale of the area (there’s pirates involved), as well as hosting art exhibitions.

Sandbanks

The view from Sandbanks of Studland and Old Harry Rocks (Picture: Getty)

One of the best – if not THE best beach in Britain, Sandbanks is a calming stretch of seaside away from the busier Bournemouth.

In this area you’ll also find crazy golf and a Rick Stein restaurant, with beautiful views out the back and, naturally, fresh fish on the three-course set lunch.

There’s also Caff, a great greasy spoon with top breakfasts and milkshakes.

If you’re staying at Bournemouth you can have a lovely day walking from there to Sandbanks along the beach and promenade (it will take a few hours), then you can get a bus back from the stop near the Ferry point.

Brownsea Island

(Picture: Getty)

Right at the end of Sandbanks is the ferry across to Studland (where there’s a naturist beach, the one where the beginning of Monty Python’s Flying Circus was filmed) and Brownsea Island.

Brownsea Island is a National Trust property famed for its red squirrels and its history.

It’s seen monks, a clay industry, the first Scout camp, fires and the fascinating Mary Bonham-Christie, a recluse who bought the island for £125,000 in 1927.

Today it’s just great for a wander round to see the wildlife – although don’t get too excited about that castle in the picture, it’s owned by John Lewis and only their staff can stay there.

The hotel is interspersed with fun, quirky decor ideas such as a whole wall of bells at the front desk, bowler hats as lights and old-fashioned phones on the wall in the business lounge and pinwheel motifs in the gorgeous, box fresh rooms –

(Picture: Pellier Photography for Hilton Bournemouth)

But the showstopper here is the aforementioned Sky Bar which is worth a visit whether you’re a guest or not.

(Picture: Hilton Bournemouth)

How to get there

South West Trains run direct services from London Waterloo to Bournemouth from £51.80 return travelling off-peak.

Make sure you check the trains beforehand – you can do the journey in 1 hour 45 minutes but, if you get a stopping train, it can take more than three hours.

That's all for today! We hope that with those reasons you will be more in love with this amazing city! 🙂